


250 - One Night in a Good Outfit

by storiesaboutvan



Category: Catfish and the Bottlemen (Band)
Genre: Cute meet, F/M, Fluff, Hero Van, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 15:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesaboutvan/pseuds/storiesaboutvan
Summary: An original mini fic about the power of a good outfit.





	250 - One Night in a Good Outfit

5:00 pm

The skirt was special for two reasons. The first: You had never won anything in your life. Therefore, winning a $500 skirt was just next fucking level. The second: It made you feel like a princess. Dusty pink tulle that puffed in the right places. It was knee length and probably didn't really go with the black velvet cropped shirt you had on, but fuck - did you feel good. It even had hidden pockets that zipped!

Bella agreed that you had to wear it to the party.

"It's not like… too costume-y is it?" you asked, spinning around in front of the mirror with a smile plastered on your face.

"Y/N. Look at how happy it makes you. You're glowing. Just wear it. Now, come on and help me pick something so I don't look like you're ugly stepsister."

7:42 pm 

"And the vegetarian burrito bowl for the lady with the skirt," the waiter said as he delivered your food. 

Bella giggled and held up the complimentary shot of tequila he had given her. You held up yours. 

"Cheers to a good night," she said. 

"I'll cheers to that."

 

10:07 pm

"You know, Y/N, you're the only one that's actually asked to see the house," Joshua said with a grateful look on his face.

"Dude. It's a housewarming party…"

"Yeah, but… people, you know? Just here for craic,"

"I love you to death, Josh. And you bought a house! That's like, a fully adult thing! It's a good house too. I'm just glad you're happy," you said and pulled him into a hug. 

He held you tight and kissed your cheek as you pulled away. 

"Thanks, babe. Anyway. Let's get you a drink, huh? Bella's already on the piss."

 

11:17 pm

There was no dancefloor, but that had never stopped you and Bella before. You held each other's hands and spun around and around and around until the room was a blur and you felt very Jack and Rose.

"I neeeeeeeeevvveeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" you both yelled at the top of your lungs. The tequila and vodka and the whatever else were doing their job. "I neeeeeevvvveeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" again. And again. And again.

When the song was over, you could stop spinning and catch your breath. That's when you noticed him for the first time. Standing in the doorway of the lounge room talking to Joshua was a guy dressed all in black. He was watching you, but so were other people in the room. Maybe it was your shimmery pink skirt. Maybe it was the wonderful performance you and Bella were unknowingly putting on. Maybe it was just you.

Your eyes met his and he smiled. His tongue darted out and ran across his bottom lip, and he quickly took a drink from the bottle he was holding to conceal the smirk on his face. He turned back to Joshua and continued the conversation.

 

11:27 pm

In a fit of giggles, you spun around and almost collided with someone else. The guy. He was grinning and holding two bottles of water.

"Hey, princess," he said.

To steady yourself, you rested your hands on his shoulder. You were standing on the ottoman that matched Joshua's new couch. It was okay though, you'd kicked your shoes off when you started to dance. It did mean you were eye level.

"Hi," you replied, voice coming out in a weird whisper. 

His eyes were a bright blue and they sparkled so hard it was like they were made of glitter and diamonds and shiny, perfect jelly. Or something.

"Ah, just thought you and your mate might want some water. Goin' pretty fuckin' hard over 'ere."

He held out the bottles to you. Bella was jumping and oblivious to the world, so you took hers for her too.

"Thank you."

Dramatically, slowly, you twisted the lid off one of the bottles. You could hear the plastic crack of the seal. After you had smashed a third of it, you held it out to the guy. He nodded and took it from you and drank another third.

"I, ah, like your skirt a lot,"

"Yeah?!" you squealed, handing Bella's bottle back to him so you could hold your skirt out and spin, showing him the full effect. He smiled as he watched you. "I won it! It's the most expensive thing I have but I won it!"

He laughed at you. "Lucky. How'd you win it?"

As you began to tell him, Bella appeared, kissing your cheek and taking the full bottle of water from the guy’s hands. She jumped off the ottoman and skipped from the room, to the kitchen undoubtedly. He held your bottle and you switched back and forth between telling him about the skirt and drinking. You could hear the mania in your voice. The speed too fast. The words rolling into the next. Were you really that drunk? Or was it the thoughtful way the guy was watching you, his gaze following your erratic movements with an engaging warmth?

"And… yeah! And here I am," you finished.

"And here you are."

 

12:14 am

"But I don't want to kiss him," you said in a childish, drunk voice.

"Y/N! That's the game!"

You pouted again and looked around for an out. You couldn't really remember how you got into a spin the bottle circle. Did you time travel back to the 90s? Then, out of nowhere, he was crouching down with another bottle of water.

"She don't wanna kiss him," he said. 

He helped you stand and took your hand. 

"Where we going?" you asked.

"Find your friend. Try not to duck off this time," he replied.

"What?"

He looked over his shoulder at you and smiled. "We were talking before and I said that The Streets are my favourite and you ran off to tell your friend and I couldn't find you. Worried you'd passed out somewhere."

You shook his hand violently. "I love The Streets! They're my favourite! Nobody likes them!"

He laughed. "Lots of people like them, love. Quite popular, I reckon,"

"No, but I love them," you repeated. The guy didn't turn around but he nodded as he continued to lead you from room to room, looking for Bella. "What's your name?" you asked him.

"Should I be offended that you don't remember? I remember your name,"

"What's my name?!" you almost yelled. What a game!

"Y/N. Princess in the pretty skirt that you won. I'm Van," he said, stopping and turning around. You repeated his name a couple times to yourself. "I don't know where she's gone, love. But I do think you need some food in ya before you try for another round. There's a fish and chip shop just 'round the block. How 'bout we go get you some good grease?"

There wasn't a moment where you thought of not going with him. It could have been that it was simply the easiest thing to do, to do what you were told. You could pretend that you knew you would be safe because he'd paraded himself around with you attached. There is no way people wouldn't know where you were or who you were with. Really, you just liked the way he smelled and appreciated that he seemed to be a source of cold water. So, he found your shoes behind the couch and waited patiently for you to get them on. 

Down the steps of the house and off to the fish and chip shop.

 

12:51 am

All hot chips are good hot chips. All fries are good fries. But, surely the greatest were those served to drunk people by staff at late night diners and shops. Van watched as you happily ate your way through a medium almost entirely on your own.

"Do you want anything else? Something to drink? One of them banana fritters?"

Your head popped up at the mention of that. You nodded and Van grinned back at you. He reached across the table and wiped sauce from your cheek, then stood up and rejoined the drunken line.

 

1:08 am

"Can I take my shoes off?" you asked Van as you walked down the middle of the road. You were in a residential area and the world between chip shop and party was asleep.

"Why you asking me? Do what you want, love," he answered, glancing over at you with a funny look. His hands were in his pockets and since you had sobered up a little, he wasn't walking as close to you, wasn't holding you up. You didn't like the feeling of the missing contact.

You stopped to pull the shoes off and Van held a hand out. 

"Oh, you don't have to," you told him.

"It's no problem," he said with a shrug as he took your shoes and held on to them. You continued to walk.

"I'm sorry that I got so drunk so fast and that you've had to look after me,"

"You don't gotta say sorry for getting drunk," Van replied with a laugh. "And I didn't have to look after you. You didn't ask me to, and you probably would've been just fine without me. Just… Like I said. I like ya skirt. I liked ya dancin'. Just being a gentleman."

You smiled to yourself and took your next step slightly to the side, so you'd be closer to him.

"Thank you, then. For looking after me. I feel better,"

"Yeah?" he asked, taking your closeness as a cue. Van put an arm around your waist and brought you in closer to him. "That's good. Good fritter will do that. So, you reckon we can have a drink together then? Have a little boogie?"

You giggled at his cuteness and at the word 'boogie.' Maybe you weren't the only one trapped in the past. Nodding into him, you watched at the fairy lights out the front of Joshua’s house came into view and you were returned to the party.

 

2:24 am

When Van laughed, it cracked in the middle. He laughed with his whole body, bringing his leg up to his chest and holding it there. He was a thigh-slapper, head-shaker, eye-tearing laugher, and you were falling in love with him.

Out the back of the house, on the cold grass, you were rolling around with him. The plan had been to have another drink or two, but then a newly-found Bella offered weed and it felt like fate. Everyone had gone inside, but you had remained under the blanket of darkness with Van.

"Princess! Babe! Your skirt's gonna get green," he said in a harsh whisper of urgency.

"Nahhhhhhhhhh," you replied slowly, completely calm about whatever was happening to your skirt.

But, Van sat up and took his jacket off. He laid it down on the ground, spreading it as wide as possible. "Roll," he said, pointing to it.

You rolled onto the jacket and were only stopped by your body hitting his. You were on your back and he was on his side. You looked up at him as he got comfortable by propping himself up on an arm.

"You know, Van, you're so pretty," you said quietly. He stopped moving and looked down at you. "You're sparkly and fluffy and nice,"

"You're sparkly and fluffy and nice," he repeated with a grin.

"I just need you to do one more thing for me,"

"More? Princess, babe, love, I've been following you around all night doing things for you," Van said, poking your tummy gently. You grabbed his hand and brought it to your mouth and kissed his palm lightly. He watched expressionlessly, but breathing faster.

"I know. But one more?" You could barely hear your own voice; it was only a touch louder than complete silence. It rang loudly in Van's head though. He nodded. "I just… I need you to kiss me… please… and thank you."

Van did his best to not jump for joy, not to throw a victorious fist into the air. He bit down on his bottom lip to hide a smile, then nodded again.

"Think I could do that."

 

7:41 am

The room was beautifully dark and cool, despite your phone telling you it was almost eight in the morning. With the little battery a horrible red, you looked over the side of the bed to see if there was a charging cable close. No luck. There may have been only 8% battery life, but there was a 0% chance of you voluntarily getting out of the bed you were in.

"Whaddadoin'?" a sleepy, raspy voice mumbled. 

You could feel his arms tighten around your waist, pulling you back closer and away from the edge of the bed. He was well under the covers, his head resting on your lower back and his breath on your skin. You shivered.

"Phone's dying," you whispered in reply. He made some sort of movement, possibly a shrug, then went back to sleep. You were awake though. "I'm awake now," you declared, running your hands through his hair. He made the movement again. "You have to wake up too,"

"No,"

"Why? What am I gonna do while I wait for you?" you asked, amused.

"Dunno. Sleep. I d'wanna get outta bed,"

"I don't want to get out of bed either. I just want you to wake up. Please? For me?"

Slowly, his arms moved from around you and he crawled out from under the blanket. His hair was stuck up every which way and he was probably wondering why he felt worse than you did.

"For you, Princess, anythin'," Van said with a stupid grin on his face.


End file.
